Here is a link to a lovely blog post about Gia Belloni jewellery, featured at the SnowPR AW13 press day. The blog is by Annie Million and is well worth perusing for it’s cool content! (I spent a good deal of time NOT getting on with what I should while losing time meandering around Annie’s blog!) Also a peek at the cool Belgian chocci bumblebee I used in the press packs, which has won the great taste gold award 4 years on the trot! (deservedly) xxx

A gorgeous spread of wants from Fashion Rooftop this month…. I am particularly agog at the Alexander McQueen clutch – I think it’s the most fabulous thing I’ve seen in studs! I really do want it. (and how well it goes with the Architect pendant!) A very nice array of colours, textures and prints to put me in mind of hazy heat filled days with a hint of maybe Morocco? (a hint…. slightly ethnic, don’t you think?)

In all my research about Bees for the ‘Colony’ collection, I discovered some amazing and fascinating facts and mythologies surrounding these industrious little creatures, none more so than the recent news about BEE VENOM. Read on for what, I think you’ll agree, is absolutely amazing information!

Medical studies have shown that Bee venom can destroy the HIV virus and quite possibly other viruses and tumors as well.

Melittin destroys some viruses and malignant tumor cells.

Melittin is a powerful toxin found in bee venom. It can poke holes in the protective viral envelope that surrounds the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other viruses.

Dr Hood, who has co-authored the study which has appeared in journal antiviral therapy said,

“We are attacking a physical property of the virus. Theoretically, there isn’t any way for the virus to adapt to that.”

Senior author, Samuel A. Wickline, MD, the J. Russell Hornsby Professor of Biomedical Sciences, has demonstrated that nanoparticles loaded with melittin have anti-cancer properties and have the capacity to kill tumor cells and the HIV virus. Linking bee venom with anticancer therapies is not new apparently, in 2004 Croatian scientists reported in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture that honey-bee products, including venom, could well have applications in cancer treatments and prevention.

For two articles on this amazing discovery, the 1st regarding Bee venom targeting cancer cells and the other an article about Bee venom treating the HIV virus and potentially other viruses too….

I am just loving seeing how people are styling the COLONY collection! So many looks and so much creativity. If anyone finds more style sets let me know! And thanks to Hannah & Claire and everyone else who have been ‘spotting’ Gia Belloni designs…. :)